FOCUS St. Louis is pleased to announce the incoming officers for the 2024-25 fiscal year, as well as nine new board members. Board members are community leaders who demonstrate interest and commitment to FOCUS’ mission to educate leaders, connect leaders and facilitate important conversations in the St. Louis region.
Board Officers for July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025 are:
- Board Chair – Leann Chilton, Vice President, Government Relations, BJC HealthCare (Leadership St. Louis 2001 / Impact Fellows 2016)
- Executive Vice Chair – Edward Bryant, VP, Public Affairs & Communications, Heartland Coca-Cola
- Vice Chair – Matthew Blakely, VP, Corporate Social Responsibility & Sustainability, RGA Reinsurance Company (Leadership St. Louis 2021)
- Treasurer – John McClelland, Portfolio Manager, Acropolis Investment Management LLC (Leadership St. Louis 2014)
- Secretary – Sara Stock, CEO, Stock Legal, Co-Founder, Legal Back Office (Leadership St. Louis 2022)
New board members are:
- Joseph Blanner, Equity Partner, McCarthy, Leonard & Kaemmerer
- Jason Chretien, Associate Vice Chancellor | Chief of Staff, Washington University in St. Louis (Leadership St. Louis 2023)
- David Erickson, Chief Investment Officer, Ascension Investment Management
- LaTonya Keaton, Regional Vice President, CoBank (Leadership St. Louis 2024 / Women In Leadership 2022)
- Missy Kelley, Chief Growth Officer, Anders CPAs+ Advisors (Impact Fellows 2016)
- Christina Moore, Partner, Husch Blackwell LLC (Leadership St. Louis 2022)
- Steward Stiles III, Associate Director of Student Recruitment and Family Partnership, St. Louis Voices Academy of Media Arts (Emerging Leaders 2024)
In addition, FOCUS St. Louis® welcomes to the board two youth members who are 2024 graduates of FOCUS’ Youth Leadership St. Louis program:
- Destiny Henry, University City High School / Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis’ St. Louis Internship Program
- Andrew Hunt, St. Louis University High School
Executive Committee
Leann Chilton serves as vice president for BJC HealthCare, one of the largest nonprofit health care organizations in the United States. She works collaboratively with elected and appointed government officials at the state, local and federal levels on behalf of BJC’s hospitals and service lines including inpatient and outpatient care, primary care, community health and wellness, workplace health, home health, community mental health, rehabilitation and hospice. Prior to joining BJC HealthCare in 1999, she worked in Denver and Washington, D.C. and St. Louis in the telecommunications field.
A 2001 graduate of Leadership St. Louis and a 2016 graduate of FOCUS Impact Fellows, Leann serves on the Government Relations Council of Greater St. Louis, the Hawthorn Board and Missouri Partnership Board. She was named among the Most Influential Business Women Class of 2003 by the St. Louis Business Journal. She has an MBA from Washington University and has called St. Louis her home since 1985.
Ed Bryant has over 20 years of expertise developing and executing effective strategic and integrated stakeholder engagement, communications and public affairs, and minority economic inclusion solutions for a variety of for-profit and non-profit organizations. He currently serves as Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications, for Heartland Coca-Cola. Previous positions include serving as President of the St. Louis Minority Business Council, leading the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership’s Economic Development Collaborative, and serving as Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement at the United Way of Greater St. Louis, where he led the Ready by 21 St. Louis and East Side Aligned collective impact teams.
Ed holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Memphis and a master’s degree in public policy from Regent University. In addition, he has completed graduate level coursework in policy development and urban planning at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. He is also a certified DEI trainer (NCCJSTL). Throughout his career, Ed has served numerous state and local government commissions and Boards, as well as several non-profit boards. Ed has been married to his wife, Mary, for 21 years and has two young adult children (Caleb and Charis).
Matt Blakely has 24 years of experience working with foundations and corporate social responsibility programs. He is Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability for Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (RGA). In that role, Matt leads the philanthropic, employee volunteerism, sustainability, and CSR reporting for RGA – one of the world’s largest global life and health reinsurance companies. Previously, Matt served as Executive Director of Motorola Solutions Foundation and Director of Inclusion, Diversity and Outreach for Motorola Solutions, coordinating the giving, volunteerism, and inclusion efforts of Motorola Solutions Foundation and Motorola Solutions.
Matt is a 2020-21 graduate of FOCUS Leadership St. Louis and has served on the boards and advisory committees of many large and small nonprofit organizations.
John McClelland joined Acropolis in 2003 as a Portfolio Manager. He works directly with clients developing and implementing personal financial plans and investment strategies, as well as advising on estate and tax planning, retirement planning, insurance and banking needs, and trust administration. Prior to Acropolis, John worked for six years as a fixed-income research analyst at A.G. Edwards & Sons.
John holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and Master of Business Administration, with a concentration in finance and accounting, from Washington University. He earned his Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation in 2006. John has served on the finance committees and board of directors at the Sheldon Arts Foundation and New City School. He also serves on the alumni board of the Yale University Rugby Football Club. Originally from Bozeman, Montana, John has been a resident of St. Louis since 1998 and has three children. He is a 2014 graduate of Leadership St. Louis.
Sara Stock is founder and CEO of Stock Legal, and co-founder of Legal Back Office. Her legal practice focuses on general corporate work for small- to medium-sized businesses and commercial real estate transactions, advising clients in all aspects of the business lifecycle. Sara’s joint MBA and law degree uniquely position her to provide the highest quality legal advice seasoned with a solid understanding of her clients’ business objectives. She left an equity position at a large St. Louis law firm to join KWS Law, and later to form Stock Legal, because she felt she could better serve her target clients – small- to medium-sized businesses – from a small- to medium-sized law firm. Sara is passionate about these types of clients because they surround her in her personal life. Sara’s mom and dad ran the family trucking company out of their home while Sara was a child, and Sara’s dad and brother continue to run this successful business today. In 2018, Sara cofounded Legal Back Office, which provides back office services to small- to medium-sized businesses.
Sara is chair of the Middle Market and Small Business Committee, a committee of the American Bar Association, and sits on the YWCA Board of Directors, the St. Louis Children’s Hospital Development Board of Directors, and the Gateway 180 Board of Directors. She is also an active member of ACG St. Louis, and sits on the advisory board for a number of institutions, including banking organizations and local companies.
New Board Members
As Equity Partner at McCarthy, Leonard & Kaemmerer, Joe Blanner primarily focuses his practice on construction law, municipal law, real estate, and commercial and general civil litigation. He represents property owners, design professionals, general contractors, subcontractors and materials suppliers in contract negotiations, project execution, collections and litigation. He also practices in the real estate area negotiating property purchases, commercial leases and represents a variety of subdivision homeowner’s associations. Prior to becoming an attorney, he studied at Saint Louis University School of Law and is admitted to practice in the Missouri Circuit Courts, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals. Joe has received an impressive array of awards and honors, including the Roy F. Essen Outstanding Young Lawyer Award, St. Louis Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, and the City of Eureka Citizen of the Year Award. He has been involved with various charitable and community organizations, serving as board and committee member and volunteers.
As Chief of Staff and Associate Vice Chancellor at Washington University, Jason Chretien oversees operational initiatives for the CAO divisions, supporting the chief administrative officer in developing and implementing innovative solutions to resolve institutional challenges and support strategic directives. He serves as an internal consultant who understands complex systems, the needs of the institution and can design and deliver practical business solutions that maximize impact and effectiveness. His knowledge, skills, and abilities have developed through a varied and challenging career in higher education to include progressive roles in Finance, Technology, and HR. He holds a B.A. in Accounting and M.S. in Tax Law. Prior to Washington University, Jason spent more than 25 years at Tulane University where he started as an Assistant Vice President for Human Resources and was later appointed Senior Assistant Vice President. He also serves as Chairman of the Board for the Tulane Loyola Federal Credit Union.
David Erickson, CFA, is the Chief Investment Officer for Ascension Investment Management (AIM). He oversees the administration, management, and coordination of all investments, and has 32 years of investment industry experience. Prior to joining AIM in 2009, he served as Chief Investment Officer at the University of Wisconsin Foundation in Madison, Wisconsin. He previously served as Vice President and Investment Strategist for Strong Capital Management in Wisconsin, and in leadership roles with PNC Bank/PNC Capital Markets, Chemical Bank, and Firstar Bank. David earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. He is a CFA charter holder and a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of St. Louis. He serves as a board member of the Henry J. Predolin Foundation, a family foundation supporting education, medical research, and the homeless. Married to Kathy for 32 years, they have three children.
LaTonya Keaton is a Regional Vice President for CoBank, one of the largest private providers of credit to the rural economy, delivering loans, leases, and other financial services to agribusiness and rural infrastructure companies in all 50 states. In this role, LaTonya leads a team of five Relationship Managers, who support Grain, Farm Supply, and Food and Agribusiness customers in a five-state region. LaTonya has significant experience with public, private, and municipal entities and has in-depth knowledge of board governance. Currently, she serves on the board of Center of Work Empowerment & Education (CWEE) and the USDA Rural Community Economic Development subcommittee. She actively engages in the strategic planning processes, policy development, and the organizations’ community engagement. In March 2022, LaTonya was honored as one of the Top 50 Women in Asset Based Lending by the ABF Journal. LaTonya is a Doctoral of Business Administration candidate at Franklin University. She holds a Master in Professional Accountancy from Georgia State University, a Master in Business Administration from Butler University, and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Notre Dame.
Missy Kelley is a seasoned professional with over 22 years of experience in strategic growth roles within Fortune 500 companies in the consumer-packaged goods and pharmacy benefits management sectors. Her expertise lies in driving innovation, market expansion and strategic planning. Missy’s strategic insights and leadership capabilities have been instrumental in creating lasting impacts on both the corporate and public sectors. Her unique blend of corporate experience and non-profit leadership has enabled her to approach challenges holistically, fostering innovation and growth across different contexts. The two pillars of her professional journey that she cherishes most are strategic planning and collaboration. Engaging with diverse minds, each contributing their unique expertise and insights not only enriches the strategic process but also fosters a sense of shared purpose and camaraderie, which Missy holds dear. In 2018, the St. Louis Business Journal recognized Missy as one of the Most Influential Business Women awardees.
Christina Moore’s career centered on healthcare even in her pre-law days: prior to attending law school, she served as a chief accountant and finance director at a healthcare startup, numerous physician practices, a home health organization, and a major for profit hospital corporation. She saw firsthand the challenges and complexity of the healthcare industry and worked to align the details of patient care with proactive compliance, organizational growth, and cost efficiency. Most of Christina’s legal practice has also focused on healthcare, giving her a 360-degree view of the industry. While serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Missouri for nearly a decade, she often handled medical malpractice matters, healthcare fraud, and qui tam actions. She later accepted an in-house counsel role on the medical campus of a large private university, guiding the medical school, health Sciences College, and nursing school, as well as a physician practice of more than 500 providers. At Husch Blackwell, Christina represents clients in a wide variety of healthcare litigation, including insurance questions, reimbursement disputes, regulatory matter, and Department of Justice investigations. With a solid background in the industry, she readily grasps the unique complexities of these cases, as well as the high stakes for healthcare providers and their practices.
Steward Stiles III, a proud native of St. Louis, holds a B.A. in Education from Webster University and a Master of Education from Grand Canyon University. His commitment to educational excellence has garnered recognition, including the Visionary and Educational Excellence Award from the African American Male Initiative at St. Louis Community College. Professionally, Steward has dedicated eight years to public education, with two years at St. Louis Public Schools and six years in the charter school sector. Notably, he served as the founding music teacher for KIPP Victory Academy and founding student recruitment lead for KIPP St. Louis on a regional level. Currently, Steward serves as the Associate Director of Student Recruitment and Family Partnership for St. Louis Voices Academy of Media Arts. His contributions extend beyond his immediate community, as he collaborates with organizations like The Opportunity Trust and The Charter School Growth Fund, sharing insights and expertise with school leaders nationwide. In addition to his professional endeavors, Steward is deeply involved in sacred pursuits. He serves as a youth pastor at his local church and holds the role of president of the Midwestern District Council Pentecostal Young People’s Union, overseeing youth ministries in Eastern Missouri and Southern Illinois. He is also a proud graduate of the FOCUS St. Louis Emerging Leaders program.
Destiny Henry is entering her senior year at University City High School. She completed the FOCUS Youth Leadership St. Louis program through her affiliation with the St. Louis Internship Program. She served as team captain of her school’s junior varsity girls’ basketball team and was an activities volunteer with Delmar Gardens.
Andrew Hunt is entering his senior year at St. Louis University High School. He serves as News Editor for his school’s weekly newspaper and is Co-founder and President of the Model United Nations Club. He is co-leader for the One World Club for global citizenship and human rights advocacy/awareness, a three-time soloist in the varsity choir, and an Eagle Scout.